I think the talent was there but the mindset was not. The team, when it needed to, seemed capable of scoring at will. However, if they weren't in need of points, they would play like trash. That made a lot of games much closer scorewise than they appeared. In the earlier games it was a slow start then they'd get firing and score too late. In the later games, it was good point production early then coasting for a bit.

So I think the skill is there for the team to have won the SB but they'd have to overcome the mental stuff. In ATL the team was incapable of figuring out the D and got embarrassed. In NE the hurry up destroyed them and they couldn't respond. Yesterday Holiday was the only one that brought his A game in the biggest game of the season.

I don't believe all that crap about being overrated or not as good as we thought we were. I believe when each of you get a strong enough stomach back...to watch the game again....you will agree that we lost this game simply because we were not prepared to play. And, even then, we lost by a fg in OT.

How do you allow 3 bombs to beat you. The #1 rule of any defense is not to let them get behind you. So, why didn't we fix that after the first one. Heck, they even missed one where the guy ran a post and Flacco orthrew him. That's not being outplayed...that's being underprepared and outcoached.

How is it that your biggest playmaker gets 3 balls all day....1 for a TD. By the way he was single covered, and although they had deep safeties the middle of the field was wide open. Terrible coaching.

No, we were the better team. But, the better team lost. We beat ourselves....and that's what's so tough for me to come to grips with. Then, to see how smug that ****ing Fox was in his press conference. I wanted to reach into the TV and slap his assinine old ass!

While Champ wasnt what he used to be, you guys are acting like Torrey Smith is a scrub.

Dont be sore losers.

Lets be real, if Champ decided to retire and we went into next season without him, this defense would take a major hit.

I guess completely ****ting on players is part of being a fanatic but sheesh. The loss sucks but you guys are out of control.

Torrey Smith So, do you have him in your top 20 WR's I don't. He's one dimensional....speed down the field. That's a coaching issue. If Flacco is getting the time to bomb it, you drop your safeties back and give your CB's help....you shut that down....because it's their only weapon and obviously, bringing the safeties into the box isn't working. Any coach worth a turd would have fixed that on the spot. Torrey Smith...is what we thought he was, a one dimensional player who catches bombs if you let him. Asking Bailey or any other CB to cover him one on one....when your Dline is getting zero rush is assinine. This loss is first and foremost on our coaching staff who could not make the necessary adjustments to seal the deal.

I don't plan on being around here much after this loss because the board has already went insane. I didn't even freak out when we lost. I took it in stride because I actually expected it to happen. I couldn't find my Champ Bailey jersey to wear all day -- and I think that happened for a reason. Would have been ashamed to have wore that jersey after today. Here are some thoughts:

Chris Kuper clearly wasn't ready to play. Rag-dolled all game and had at least two offensive holding penalties putting is in holes. He sucked it up big-time. He did not have a good game. PERIOD.

I've never seen Champ play such a horrendous game. His performance out there was pathetic. I'm not going to advocate the move to safety, but he blew it in easily one of the biggest games of his career. He should be ashamed of himself.

Rahim Moore **** the bed big time. Absolutely unforgivable.

Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller were non-existent. Sad.

Play-calling was absolutely terrible. How many deep looks did Manning have? We didn't take any shots down field all game. The Ravens forced us into short yardage plays and we couldn't even convert on third and shorts. Lame.

Manning was average.

The Broncos played crappy, undisciplined football on both sides of the ball and allowed several big plays. If it wasn't for our special teams scores, the game isn't even close. At least we have the draft to look forward to. Maybe we will pick a winner.

Torrey Smith So, do you have him in your top 20 WR's I don't. He's one dimensional....speed down the field. That's a coaching issue. If Flacco is getting the time to bomb it, you drop your safeties back and give your CB's help....you shut that down....because it's their only weapon and obviously, bringing the safeties into the box isn't working. Any coach worth a turd would have fixed that on the spot. Torrey Smith...is what we thought he was, a one dimensional player who catches bombs if you let him. Asking Bailey or any other CB to cover him one on one....when your Dline is getting zero rush is assinine. This loss is first and foremost on our coaching staff who could not make the necessary adjustments to seal the deal.

My top 20? Seriously? Its not about stats. Have you watched any Ravens games prior to the Broncos playing them? Did you watch him last year? The dude isnt a superstar but he isnt some 3rd string loser like some of yall are making him out to be just to **** on the team.

I agree that this team was unprepared and the adjustments were poor. Im just not in the business of ****ting on another player because the game didnt end with the results I wanted.

One dimensional or not, there was no answer for him, player-wise or from a coaching standpoint.

Anyway, you're entitled to your opinion as am I. I'm just not about to sit here and argue over just that; opinions.

I see things differently but I can understand and somewhat agree with your assessment.

the chiefs don't understand going 13-3 and getting bounced in the first round you really don't pay attention.

I've seen the same thing happen with nearly every team in the NFL.

My take is the same that it has been since I became a fan of football waaayyyy back in the dark ages. The bye-week (for most teams) is usually the kiss of death. Guys are in the habit of preparing each week. They're in the habit of healing from the previous week and getting read for the next Sunday. To take a week off throws off that rhythm. It seems to me like 90% of the teams coming off bye-weeks usually take it on the chin.

Unfortunately, however, the Broncos are falling into that very same trap that KC fell into with Joe Montana. Joe was an aging superstar that finished out his career in KC and, for the most part, simply sold tickets. He and Marcus Allen solidified the fan base, made a boat load of money for Hunt and that's about it.

Remember. Peyton is 36. Not 26. Exactly how many more years do we think he has??

My take is the same that it has been since I became a fan of football waaayyyy back in the dark ages. The bye-week (for most teams) is usually the kiss of death. Guys are in the habit of preparing each week. They're in the habit of healing from the previous week and getting read for the next Sunday. To take a week off throws off that rhythm. It seems to me like 90% of the teams coming off bye-weeks usually take it on the chin.

Unfortunately, however, the Broncos are falling into that very same trap that KC fell into with Joe Montana. Joe was an aging superstar that finished out his career in KC and, for the most part, simply sold tickets. He and Marcus Allen solidified the fan base, made a boat load of money for Hunt and that's about it.

Remember. Peyton is 36. Not 26. Exactly how many more years do we think he has??

I don't plan on being around here much after this loss because the board has already went insane. I didn't even freak out when we lost. I took it in stride because I actually expected it to happen. I couldn't find my Champ Bailey jersey to wear all day -- and I think that happened for a reason. Would have been ashamed to have wore that jersey after today. Here are some thoughts:

Chris Kuper clearly wasn't ready to play. Rag-dolled all game and had at least two offensive holding penalties putting is in holes. He sucked it up big-time. He did not have a good game. PERIOD.

I've never seen Champ play such a horrendous game. His performance out there was pathetic. I'm not going to advocate the move to safety, but he blew it in easily one of the biggest games of his career. He should be ashamed of himself.

Rahim Moore **** the bed big time. Absolutely unforgivable.

Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller were non-existent. Sad.

Play-calling was absolutely terrible. How many deep looks did Manning have? We didn't take any shots down field all game. The Ravens forced us into short yardage plays and we couldn't even convert on third and shorts. Lame.

Manning was average.

The Broncos played crappy, undisciplined football on both sides of the ball and allowed several big plays. If it wasn't for our special teams scores, the game isn't even close. At least we have the draft to look forward to. Maybe we will pick a winner.

I think this sums it up pretty well, hopefully you will still talk on the draft forum, we have prospects to discuss.

Man that loss stilll hurts . If Moore is still on the roster next year I will be shocked

Moore had a pretty good season, just had a bad play. Is it all on him ? I dont think so.. Where was the pass rush ? Didn't hear Von Miller, Dumerville, or Wolfs name once.. Well if you don't count jumping offsides.

It is an empty feeling.....but if you,let a team hang around and have stupid blunders over and over this has a tendency to happen. Perhaps like the late 90s team this team needs a "final lesson" before achieving greatness. They threw away a lot today. They were the best team in the league just,like the 96 team was, but you have to bring it when it counts.

It will take awhile to recover from this.

Totally agree SoCal,

As heartbreaking as this was, this is a mostly young team and Elway knows just what they are going through and what to say to them to get them re-focused on next year and feed off this painful loss. Same thing happened to him and that 13-3 team in 1996 when he was 36 ... like Manning is.

They added a few more key cogs in the wheel of greatness back then and let that bitter loss to a good team motivate them to achieve true greatness the next two years!

That 19967 team was also clearly superior to the Jags on most Sundays and those Broncos would easily beat those Jags 9 times out of 10 even on the other team's turf .. as we would the Ravens when playing more like the 2012 Broncos.

Listening to the players today as the packed up their lockers to leave and guys like Von, they will turn this devastated feeling into anger and then determination to not let this happen again.

Manning and the whole offense will work especially hard in the offseason and be notably more tight and in-sync next year... its a freakin shame we couldnt complete the deal this year too , but with a lot of young guys and some of them making mistakes and no doubt thinking past the Ravens, just a little at least, they learned a hard but valuable lesson yesterday!

If this propels us to back to back SB wins like the last time this happened with such a promising and up and coming team (unlike 2005 which was a one and done type team) then we will all look back on this game as a necessary even though bitter pill to have to swallow to get that hard edge needed to storm the castle gate for real...

Moore had a pretty good season, just had a bad play. Is it all on him ? I dont think so.. Where was the pass rush ? Didn't hear Von Miller, Dumerville, or Wolfs name once.. Well if you don't count jumping offsides.

Good season. I guess you nd I were watching 2 totally different teams this year bud. TEs killed us this year just like last year. I dont put all the blame on him , but damn he didn't help !